What if I told you the Spurs could add Jonathan Kuminga to their team for the rest of the season without compromising their core? Would that interest you? Because they have the assets to make that happen. With the right combination of pieces, San Antonio could take the Thunder's legs out from under them faster than anyone thought possible. It would just require a little trust.
I've already checked the numbers. The Warriors could send JK to Alamo City for Kelly Olynyk, Lindy Waters III, and a couple of picks. I'd be willing to package SA's 2027 first-round pick (via ATL) and their 2029 first-rounder (top-5 protected) with the aforementioned players.
Golden State would likely jump at this deal, but the most prevalent question would be why the Spurs would be willing to take on a disgruntled player like Kuminga, who believes he's a 1A option on a good team. That goes back to the "trust" part that I mentioned earlier. Let me explain.
Kuminga would not be a long-term San Antonio piece
JK only signed a two-year deal with the Warriors. He didn't even want to be there, so getting out of the Bay would be the first positive for him. Secondarily, but most importantly, the Spurs could simply release him after the season, giving him his wish to be an unrestricted free agent a little early.
There's a team option for the second year of his contract. San Antonio is paying for a depth mercenary for the season, which allows them to clear some additional money from their books in the summer after possibly taking home their first Larry O'Brien Trophy since 2014. Both parties are getting something significant out of this arrangement, and that should be enough to make it through the season.
The Spurs are better than everyone expected them to be. They have the makings of a championship team, but their lack of experience is a concern. However, a counter for that is depth. That's part of how they've already been so successful. The Silver and Black don't have to rely on one player, and there have often been nights when more than one guy is off.
Fortunately, there are so many skilled hoopers on the team that you can almost always find someone with some juice. The expanded stable of playable guards and wings who can do virtually the same things with slight emphasis on specialties, depending on the player, is something they can lean into by acquiring JK.
You'd be looking at an extremely deep and talented rotation: De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, Harrison Barnes, and Victor Wembanyama in your starting group with Dylan Harper, Keldon Johnson, Kuminga, Julian Champagnie, and Luke Kornet off the bench. You can take all 10 players into any playoff series with a reasonable expectation of victory.
The ultimate equalizer for any series is always going to be Wembanyama, but he'll need guys stepping up around him every single game if they want to win a title in his third season. Adding a player like Kuminga would increase the chances of that happening in the most explosive way possible. OKC wouldn't be able to overcome it, and you can end their dynasty before it starts.
I recently said that I don't think they should touch players 1-10 in this rotation, but if you can turn Kelly Olynyk into Jonathan Kuminga for a season when they're this good, that's too good to pass up.